IRS phone scam rampant in Central Virginia

NBC12 is getting bombarded with calls and messages from viewers, who say scammers are out for their money, claiming to be the IRS. (Source: NBC12)

(WWBT) -

NBC12 is getting bombarded with calls and messages from viewers, who say scammers are out for their money, claiming to be the IRS. The Better Business Bureau confirms this particular scam is going rampant over recent months, in Central Virginia.

Susan Mullins says she answered a call from con-artists, hoping to convince her to send them money. The scammers insisted that she owed the IRS $6,540, and that if she didn’t pay up, she’d be arrested.

The scammer, with a heavy accent, told Susan she needed to find a way to the bank, even if she couldn't drive. "I said, 'The closest bank is six miles.' They said, 'You walk,’" said Susan.

The crooks even tried to show empathy, while demanding a money order or cashier’s check, she described. "They said that they were there to collect, and that they hate to pick on poor people like me."

We called the number back. The man who answered claimed he was from the U.S. Treasury Department. He hung up when we asked for a way he could prove it. The Better Business Bureau says some scammers are even able to mimic phone numbers with an IRS caller ID.

Susan didn't fall for the scam. Instead, she called police and NBC12, to make sure others don't fall prey to a professional con artist.